The inauguration of Joe Biden as President of the United States began in Washington, DC, and he has arrived in Congress in preparation for the start of the ceremony, which will be attended by Mike Pence, the outgoing Vice President, as well as former US presidents, congressional officials and other personalities.
Once on the inauguration stage, Biden will deliver a welcome speech that may last for twenty minutes, and then play the triple national slogan.
The inauguration is also attended by Kamala Harris, Vice President-elect and her husband, as well as former President Barack Obama and his wife, former President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Senator Amy Klopchart gives a welcoming speech, then Roy Blunt, chairman of the Joint Congressional Inauguration Committee, gives his speech, and a church prayer is read.
The navy then plays the triple national emblem, and Lady Gaga performs the national anthem.
Biden began his inauguration by attending a mass at a church in Washington, with representatives from Congress, immediately after the outgoing President Donald Trump left the White House for his residence in Florida.
Biden arrived in Washington before the inauguration events, amid tightening security measures in the capital to secure the ceremony.
Upon his arrival, he participated with his deputy, Kamala Harris, in a ceremony at a memorial dedicated to honoring the victims of the emerging corona virus (Covid-19).
Before leaving his hometown in Delaware, Biden spoke in a speech about his desire during his youth to fight for what he had dreamed of, and said that there are great opportunities in his country, which is going through dark times.
15 presidential order
Earlier, Biden's advisers confirmed that upon entering the White House, he would issue 15 presidential orders, nullifying the measures taken by the Trump administration, including canceling Trump's immigration policies, and returning the United States to the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organization.
According to advisers, Biden will revoke the controversial immigration decree adopted by his predecessor to prevent citizens of Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States.
He will suspend the construction of a wall on the borders of Mexico and finance it with a budget from the US Department of Defense (Pentagon), an issue that in the past four years has raised severe political and judicial battles.
Parallel to the preparations for the inauguration ceremony, National Guard Commander General Daniel Hukanson said that 25,000 National Guard personnel were deployed in Washington to assist the security forces.
In turn, Acting US Defense Secretary Christopher Miller confirmed that National Guard personnel deployed to Washington to secure the inauguration ceremony are subject to security scrutiny.
Acting US Attorney General Jeff Rosen also said that the authorities will not tolerate anyone who tries to spoil Joe Biden's inauguration with violence or any other criminal act.